1. Field of the invention
This invention relates to a combined apparatus comprised of a passive solar apparatus and a solar cell, used in housing.
2. Related Background Art
1. Passive Solar Apparatus
Japanese Patent Publication No. 07-280358 discloses a passive solar apparatus for effectively utilizing solar heat in cold districts.
A house employing the above passive solar apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 schematically illustrates its whole construction. FIG. 2 is a detailed view of a heat collector.
The air entering from an open air inlet 105 provided at the eaves slowly flows toward the ridge through an air flow path 103 formed between shingles 101 and a heat insulating material 102. In that course, the air becomes hot while being heated by the shingles 101 having become hot because of sunshine. In order to make the air in the air flow path 103 hotter, a heat collector 104 is provided in the vicinity of the ridge. The air coming up through the air flow path 103 right beneath the roof flows into this heat collector 104.
As shown in FIG. 2, the heat collector 104 is so made up that the sunshine heat received by a heat collecting plate 115 is enclosed in a glass box 117 so as not to dissipate to the outside. The air taken into from an inlet 116 it becomes hotter while being heated by the heat collecting plate 115 to become hot air of 80.degree. C. or above. Since the heat collecting plate 115 is covered with glass, the heat collecting plate 115 does not cool if the wind blows when heated by sunshine.
The non-light-receiving side of the heat collecting plate 115 is utilized as the air flow path 103 inside the heat collector 104. This is because the non-light-receiving side formed of an heat insulating material has a smaller heat loss when the heat loss to the outside from the glass on the light-receiving side is compared with that from the heat insulating material forming a box bottom plate on the non-light-receiving side.
The air heated to 80.degree. C. or above in the heat collector 104 through the air flow path 103 provided beneath the shingles 101 is brought into the house by means of a fan 107, and is passed through a duct 106 to come under the floor, where the heat is accumulated in concrete covered with a heat insulating material 110 so that the heat can be taken through outlets 109 and utilized as desired.
The fan may also be rotated in reverse so that the heat under the floor can be dissipated outside.
2. Solar Cell Module Combined with Shingle
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 04-343481 discloses a solar cell module formed of a solar cell element, a filler and a surface protective film which are laminated to a metal plate in order. This can be used as a shingle integral type solar cell.
As solar cell elements, amorphous silicon semiconductors are preferably used. This is because the amorphous silicon semiconductors have less temperature dependence than crystal silicon semiconductors, and hence, not only they may cause less deterioration of characteristics in an environment of high temperature but also their use at high temperatures of 80.degree. C. or above can prevent the Stebler-Ronskie deterioration inherent in the amorphous silicon semiconductors. Thus, the amorphous silicon semiconductors are preferable for use in the shingle type solar cell.
In cold districts, however, such temperatures can not be maintained and the advantages of amorphous silicon solar cells can not be enjoyed.
In addition, in such cold districts, snow may fall on solar cell modules and shade them to cause the problem that the system does not work.